Tag Archives: Electronic

Last month we launched our new content series, First on SoundCloud: Studio Sessions Berlin with San Holo (go behind-the-scenes here), and this month we entered the booth with indie-pop singer-songwriter Ruuth to discuss everything from her first upload to her newest music.

Hailing from the German island of Wyk auf Föhr – population sub 8,000 – Ruuth started playing piano when she was six. She notes Regina Spektor as her first musical inspiration and the call to be a musician, was quite literally, Spektor’s song “The Call,” from the 2008 movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It wasn’t until 2017 that Ruuth decided to pursue music as a career, but with a uunique (with two u’s) voice and insatiable drive, in that short time she’s already built up a solid following and reputation as an artist to watch on the indie electronic scene.

Ruuth’s voice is like a buoy – a stoic yet flexible force that holds steady while bouncing above a surface of troppy synth and choppy percussion; her subtly-textured melodies cohabiting organically with the man-made electronic foundation, like wildflowers peeking through concrete. This uncontrived sound is no doubt due in part to the fact her process is au naturale. She says that when writing a song, she first puts down a few chords and later, layers on a melody. And as for the words: “First I do a lot of mumbling, but then the lyrics seem so obvious if you get the atmosphere going.”

When Ruuth came into the Berlin studio, she recorded her latest single, “So Heavy” – an electro-pop ballad that’s about a singular relationship but begs the universal question, “Why does it have to be so heavy? / Why do we drag each other down?” The earnest lyrics petitioning positivity are reminiscent of Ingrid Michaelson’s “Be Okay” days and the moody electronic intrigue is on par with MØor Pascal Pinon. The end result? A hopeful anthem anchored in meaning.

Ruuth has spent this past year writing all over the world, with the likes of Emmit Fenn, Graham Candy and YOUTNOTUS. Her debut single “All About,” released in May, hit #1 on blog aggregator Hype Machine – and based on our working sesh preview, “So Heavy,” is sure to follow suit.

So watch the quick video below to learn more about an artist you need to know, because what’s next in music is first on SoundCloud.

This Black History Month we’re celebrating emerging black artists who are redefining boundaries and challenging underrepresentation in their scenes. Join us as we spotlight new influential creators throughout the month.

Given the influence that black musicians have had on electronic music, are you surprised by the lack of representation of people of color?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “WOW, YOU’RE BLACK?!” at shows. But I often wonder why that is… It’s obvious hip hop and rap have come to dominate modern pop culture, not just here but all over the world. I remember a short-lived fad where kids were ripping songs, old soul and disco songs I was raised on, and throwing a hip-hop drum loop on top or a 4×4 kick and the people being exposed are thinking this is some brand new thing, because they’ve never heard or been exposed to the OGs. There is no art in repackaging, same as what Elvis did to Black Soul music and rock and roll.. but there is art in reinventing.

People like to retaliate and instant block talks about appropriation, but we have very deep strong roots that have been exploited since the beginning.. but especially now in modern radio pop songs, and bitten sounds from guys who will never get the light of day. We’re exploited for our originality, and left to play catch up.

How did you first get your start as an electronic artist?

I began my journey early 2014…an amazing year for electronic communities on Youtube and SoundCloud. Everything was very fresh and experimental so many different sounds to be exposed to. And that really became part of my identity I change and go through so many phases. I wanted to make people feel what i feel when i find an amazing track.

Have you had to navigate any particular obstacles in order to gain respect within the electronic music scene?

Yes, I feel my shot at getting some recognition was compromised. I was 16, I remember being at summer camp when I dropped “Futuristic Love.” It was played all over Soulection’s shows, I was getting tagged in random videos of these huge DJ’s who didn’t even follow me.. couldn’t even get a response back for a thank you. I found out the file was just being tossed around in a leaked dropbox and that’s how it got out. And in turn no one wanted to help in the slightest.

I still get people to this day who were looking for that song and are messaging me about it. Really wild.

Were there artists in particular who you looked to for inspiration, who you felt were breaking down barriers in the genre?

I remember binging Haywyre, Sam Gellaitry, and Herzeloyde all at that time. Every time I listen to one of their tracks, I’m having so much fun in my head. They just have that depth to their tunes and I love it!

What advice would you give to other musicians of color looking to break in?

Fuck all the other noise around you, you are your own competition…and if you want to be great you will be great! Create your own destiny, make your own print and continue to circulate that inspiration to any other young souls you touch.

On SoundCloud Premier Partner Blackbear is Mat Musto, a singer-songwriter with an R&B electronic sound who first started out producing and writing for other artists. When exploring his career as a solo artist, he would upload a song a week and has built his following since 2012.

Please introduce yourself to the SoundCloud community.

los angeles based. 24.

How do you use SoundCloud?

started out dropping a song a week for about a year in 2012. every week more and more listeners got involved, made sure to link songs to facebook, tumblr, & twitter, used the Explore tab to find what people were listening to & found a whole world of creativity n I was hooked.

Describe your creative process. What is your set up like?

sure sm7 apogee duet, ua la 610, macbook, logic & iphone

pretty simple setup but it’s all about your chain. it’s good to listen to a lot of music 2 evolve your ear & learn sonics eq & compression.

when i’m making a song i usually just bang a bunch of keys until it sounds good and sing nonsense over it & hope 2 god it makes sense.

How have you reached certain goals or steps in your career?

mike posner put me on in the early stages of my career, brought me in the studio w pharrell for a wk, worked on justin bieber’s “boyfriend” then plenty more 4 big time rush, MGK, g-eazy, tokyo police club, relient k, the janoskians, mod sun, nick jonas, the list goes on so i thank mike a lot for getting me started writing & producing for other artists.

What does it feel like to become a Premier Partner? Where do you want to take your career next?

i love SoundCloud & it will always b my homebase 2 drop new music & hear new music as well.

Who or what is inspiring you creatively? Are there people that you’d like to collaborate or work with?

Meta

Archives

We use cookies for various purposes including analytics and personalized marketing. By continuing to use the service, you agree to our use of cookies as described in the Cookie Policy.

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.